The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors has insisted on embarking on the planned industrial action scheduled for January 12, despite an order by the National Industrial Court stopping the move.
According to the NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, only the National Executive Council of the union could stop the planned strike.
The National Industrial Court, sitting in Abuja, had earlier on Friday restrained the association and two of its officials from embarking on any form of industrial action from January 12, 2026.
Justice E. D. Subilim granted the interim injunction in a suit marked NICN/ABJ/06/2026, filed by the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation against NARD, Dr. Suleiman, and Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim.
But speaking on a Channels TV programme on Friday evening, Suleiman said members of the association were not shaken by the court order, alleging that the government had not acted in good faith despite NARD’s decision to suspend its earlier strike in November 2025.
“We signed the MoU on the 27th of November. The strike was supposed to start on the 27th of December. NEC carried it over, and at the beginning of this year, we met again and gave more days.
“Then, at the close of work today (Friday), I started hearing from social media that a court injunction has been served. I’m even hearing that ‘no work, no pay’ documents have been released.
“When we are discussing and negotiating, it should be done in good faith. Once you start bringing out armouries and arms like this, it means you don’t want to negotiate in good faith,” he said.
Asked if the association would go ahead with the strike despite the court order, Suleiman replied that it would proceed “unless the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors says otherwise.”
He added that the association was still engaging the Federal Government and expressed optimism that the impasse could be resolved over the weekend.
“We are in conversations. We are in discussions with the Federal Government’s team. I hope that between tonight and Sunday, a lot of things will be done properly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital branch of NARD has declared support for the resumption of the nationwide strike
In a statement on Friday, LASUTH-ARD President, Dr Akerele Alaba, said resident doctors at LASUTH would fully comply with the directive of the national body to resume the Total Indefinite and Comprehensive Strike 2.0, tagged ‘No Implementation, No Going Back’.
“The Federal Government has failed to fulfill its part of the agreement. Many of the items have been completely neglected, altered, or only partially implemented,” he said.
He disclosed that the decision to resume the strike followed resolutions reached at NARD’s Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting, held virtually on January 2, 2026.
